Suction cleaner



March 9, 1937.

W. LEATHERS SUCTION CLEANER Filed Feb. 28,, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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March 9, 1937. w. LEATHERS SUCTION CLEANER Filed Feb. 28, .1954

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 9, 1937. w. LEATHERS 2,073,489

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Feb. 28', 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN, TOR. 6%:

March 9, 1937. w. LEATHERS 2,073.489

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Feb. 28, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER Ward Leathers, Haworth, N. J., assignor to Quadrex Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application February 28, 1934, Serial No. 713,347

12 Claims.

emptying of accumulated dirt from the cleaner.

2. The casing of. the filter is made tubular and rigid in upward continuation of a tubular lower part of the cleaner, the latter comprising within itself the built-in dirt receptacle and the motor suction unit.

3. The tubular fabric of the-filter is supported in an improved way which keeps it cylindrical and at the same time taut lengthwise.

4. Improved means is provided for capping the upper end of the tubular filter and its surrounding rigid casing; also for adjustably venting said casing.

5. In one embodiment the handle of the cleaner is rigid with the top of .the rigid filter casing and does not extend axially or otherwise through the actual filter so that the latter is not obstructed interiorly either by said handle or the means for supporting the filter.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of my present invention will appear from the following description in connection with the drawings which set forth illustrative preferred forms of the invention. However, the invention is not to be regarded as limited to said forms or to the details thereof except as may be required by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a suction cleaner within my invention with its handle shown broken oh. I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-section through the portion of Figure #1 comprising motor-suction-unit and dirt receptacle.

Figure 3 is an end view of the motor-suctionunit showing the bottom of the fan casing removed and the fan largely broken away to show means of ventilating the motor.

Figure 4 is-a cross-section taken at the dotted line AA in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a top view of the motor-suction dirt receptacle unit of Figure 2 with the filter and filter cover removed.

.Figure 6 shows the fabric filter partly broken away.

Figure '7 shows the general character of one of the fabric patterns for making same.

Figure 8 shows a spring latch for the inner filter tube.

, in such manner that the inner portion 2| pro-' Figure 9 shows a partial cross-section of the upper portion of the filter mechanism where a metal cover and an internal handle are used.

Figure 10 shows the same, where an internal handle is used but no metal cover. 5

Figure 11 is a longitudinal section, partially broken away, of the upper portion of the motorsuction-unit, dirt receptacle, and filter mechanism where no internal handle is used and showing means of obtaining clean air for blower purposes from the motor-blower-unit. 1

Figure 12 is a plan view of a part of the valve I mechanism at the top of Figure 11.

- Figure 13 is a plan view of the top of the motor blower dirt receptacle unit shown in Fig- 15 ure 11. v

Figure 14 is a detail of the 'filter tube support in Figure 11.

My device has a tubular body I, 2 and I, as will be *noted from Figures 1, 2 and 11. A motor-suction-unit is combined'in such manner with said body that its outer casing I is integral with an upper portion of the tubular body 2. The bottom 3 is joined to the part I of the tubular body, by any suitable means such as the screw latch 4, Figure 1. A hinged door 30 is released by spring button 38 for emptying dirt from the dirt chamber 28 which is built'in between the motor and the filter adjacent the duct 21 separated from the latter by the partition 26. .A filter cover 1 houses a fabric filter and is provided with ports 8 and 9 for the escape of the filtered air. A bell top l0 deflects the air from the upper ports 9 so that it does not blow upward toward the operator. A handle ll carries an electric cord 12 which passes downward through the filter to a' point of attachment with the motor-suetion-dirt-receptacle unit. A rubber covered nozzle I3 is provided with a wheel M at each end. A motor armature 15 together with its field l6, commutator l1, brushes l8, bearings l4 and I9, supply cord 20, (see Figure 2) is mounted within an inner portion 2| of the motor housing I. This motor housing casting has an inner and an outer shell integrally cast or joined jects downward from a cross shelf 23. Complete freedom of dirt laden air escape-from the fanil thus is provided. The inner .portion- 2| and outer portion I are shown annular and concentric with no ties between them that can catch or impede the fiow of hair, strings, nap and fibrous material which must flow freely through this machine. This same casting l and 2| has an upper portion 2 which partially surrounds the dirt chamber and may be cast integral. It further carries as a part of its rigid structure, cast integral or otherwise, a top ring 25. A separator wall 26 separates the air passage 21 from the dirt collection chamber 28. Referring to Figure 5 which is a top view of this casting the ring portion may be clearly noted. A door or gate 30 shown hinged to the main casting at 3| is provided with rubber or felt packing rings 32. A circular portion or socket 33 above the dirt chamber is provided in the casting into which the handle 34 is fastened by a pin 35. In Figure 4, a cross-section taken at AA in Figure 1 shows the relationship of the parts which encompass the dirt collection chamber. A push button 38 is so spring mounted that when pressed from the outside it releases a latch and permits the door 38 to open. It is practical to produce the housing i, 2, 2|, and 25 as a single die casting although this unit may be made of more than one part rigidly joined together.

Internal ventilation of the motor is accomplished without the use of an internal fan which is the common practice. The main blower fan 24 has auxiliary blades 39 on the back thereof.

These may be provided of any suitable size or relationship for the purpose of producing a suction between the bearing and the fan 24. Ventilating air entering at top of the motor housing at 5, which is shown surrounded by a rubber plug, is

drawn downward through the motor and exhausted through ports 48 by means of the suction provided by the auxiliary blades 39. The lower bearing i9 is held in place by a cap 4| 3 (which may best be seen in Figure 3). Figure 3 is a View of the lower end of the motor housing with the blower case 3 removed. The ventilator ports 48 may be located and shaped as desired, reasonably near the bearing. The fan 24 is shown 40 broken away with the auxiliary blades not shown.

A cloth filter (see Figures 11, 6, 7 and 8) is disposed within the filter case i'. It is tied into a groove in the ring 25 by means of a cord 46. A fiat pattern 41 makes substantially half of the 45 filter having a flare at 48 so that the sides are slightly drawn together relieving the filter from contact with its case I. A strip of fabric 58 is sewn along its sides to one of the pieces 41, making an air duct. A hem in the bottom, 5|, 50 is provided 'into which a spring 52 is inserted. The spring is provided with a hole 53 (Fig. 8) so that when it is set into the outlet of the air passage 21, (Figs. 2 and 11) the pin 35 engages in the hole, holding the filter tube 50 in place.

55 By means of a string 55 (Fig. 6) the top of the filter may be drawn together in any suitable man-. ner.- The top of the filter may be tied or otherwise fastened around a metal part 58 (see Figure 9) which is held upward on the handle by means 60 of a spring 50. The spring is held in place at the bottom by means of a pin 6| through the handle. A felt washer 62 at the top of the spring keeps the filter tight. The case I is provided with a top cap 63, equipped with ports or openings 65 3. The bell Ill rests on a yieldable washer 1|. A tubular sleeve 88 is held on the handle II by means of the pin 5|. This sleeve is provided with threads at the top; a threaded ring Ill fits said threads. By means of the ring ID the rigid filter 7 case is. held down on the ring 25 (Fig., 2), the cap 83 is held on the case I, and the bell I0 is held down on the cap 63 with a'yieldable washer 1| interposed between the bell l8 and the cap 63. The spring 60 now holds the filter taut.

The filter case 1 may be dispensed with as in Fig. 10. In this case a spring I4 rests on a pin 15 passing through the handle. The annular metal part 58 may be provided with a cap 18 and the two parts 58 and 18 may be joined at the top by clamping one over the other as at 80.

The upper end of the filter tube 45 is located between the parts 58 and 18 with its mouth tied by the drawing string 55. The aforesaid spring 14 forces the described metal parts upwardly and keeps the filter tube taut. Gasket 62 prevents air leakage between the cap parts and the handle The handle I I may, instead of passing through the filter 45, stop at the top of the case I. See Figure 11. In this case the filter case I, of rigid material, preferably sheet metal, may be joined to the ring 25 by screws at 8|. An annular part 83, preferably a die casting, is joined to the upper end of the case i by screws, or other suitable manner as at 85. Part 83 has an annular cylindrical wall 85 containing ports or openings 51. Vertical fins 88 furnish structural connection and support from the part 83 and its wall 86 to a center boss 89 to which the handle may be joined as by rivet 90. A top cap 9|, preferably of sheet metal, is disposed above the die casting 83. It is provided with an annular holder ring 93 having ports adapted to register with the ports 8'! in the casting 83. The cap 9| is free to be manually rotated and snugly held in place by friction. By turning the cap 9|, 45 degrees or another suitable angular distance, ports may be opened or closed for the escape or non-escape of the filtered air from the space between the filter 45 and the case "I.

To obtain, if desired, a stream of clean compressed air for blowing purposes from the motor blower unit, the body I may be provided in any suitable place with an exhaust port 95 (Fig. 11) which in turn may be provided with removable cap 96. By closing the ports 81 by the cap 9|, and by removing the cap 96, and joining a hose to the port 95 as by a screw thread ortapered joint, a stream of clean compressed air may be provided.

Through drilled holes 91 (Fig. 13) in the ring 25, the electric cord not shown in Fig. 11 may be carried upward between the filter and its case to the bottom-of the hollow handle II. I have provided a spring bracket I08. (Figs. 11 and 14) attached to the case I, as by rivets, and holding the top of the filter. It 'also' has loops |0| in which the electric cord may be caught and held in place. The filter may be drawn together as by a draw string and by means of washers, bolt 1. In a, suction cleaner, a motor-suction unit.

2. In a suction cleaner, a motor-suction unit a casing for said motor comprising an inner sleeve holding said motor and an outer substantially concentric portion constituting a chamber through which dirt-laden air is delivered by the fan of said unit, said outer chamber being extended upwardly by means of walls parallel with bottom at the upper end of the motor casing having a movable side portion for emptying the dirt and disposed at the side of one of said extended walls above the motor, a sleeve-like filter, the lower end of which provides communication with the said chamber extension and the dirt chamber, a substantially cylindrical, rigid filter cover joined at 'the lower end to the aforesaid upwardly extended walls of the exhaust chamber and dirt collection chamber, a handle for operating the cleaner mounted on the upper end of the rigid filter cover and with all said parts forming a substantially annular and concentric unit substantially co-axial with the mo- 0 tor.

3. Ina suction cleaner, the combination of a motor suction unit, a casing for the motor of said unit substantially concentric with the motor shaft, an annular dirt laden air chamber surrounding said motor casing substantially concentric with the motor shaft, a dirt laden air duct longitudinally disposed above and towards the side of said chamber in communication there'- with, and a dirt chamber'built in wholly above 0 said motor casing at the side of said duct, the

combined outer walls of said duct and dirt chamber forming substantially a cylinder substantially concentric with the shaft of said motor, a tubular filter substantially concentric with said mo- 5 tor shaft and located at the top of said dirt chamber and the upper, end of said duct in communication therewith, a portion of the said substantially cylindrical wall of said 'iirt chamber being a door for emptying the dirt from said 0 chamber.

4. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a filter unit, a built-in dirt chamber and a motor suction unit,- all in rigid interconnected longitudinal arrangement with the filter unit at the top 5 of the cleaner, the dirt chamber in the middle wholly between the filter unit at the top and the motor suction unit at the bottom, said combination securing capacity for the dirt chamber without the diameter of that portion of the cleaner 0 being increased beyond that of the motor suction unit, the said combination of parts being supportable on a floor nozzle connectible with the motor suction unit, and there being a door in the exposed side of the built-in dirt chamber for 5 discharging the contents thereof.

5. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a filter unit, a dirt chamber and a motor suction unit, all in rigid interconnected longitudinal 'arrangement with the. filter unit at the top of the cleaner, the dirt chamber in the middle wholly between the filter unit at the top and the motorv suction unit at the bottom, the whole being supportable on a 'fioor nozzle connectible with the motor suction unit, the fan of said latter unit v being located below the motor on the lower end the motor axis, a dirt collection chamber with its of its armature shaft, and means for air cooling said motor comprising a duct for delivering atmospheric air to the upper end of the armature of said motor, said duct extending into the upper end of the motor suction unit below the dirt chamber there being extra blades on the upper side of the fan arranged to draw said air downwardly along the armature.

6. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a motor suction unit, having a dirt laden air inlet at the bottom for connecting with a fioor nozzle, the fan of said unit being below the. motor, a tubular filter axially above the motor suction unit spaced therefrom, said tubular filter and the motor suction unit being connected by a duct at the side thereof, and a built-in dirt chamber located adjacent said duct wholly in the space between the motor suction unit and the tubular filter to receive the dirt from said filter, and a door in the side of said chamber for emptying its contents, theaforesaid combination securing capacity for the dirt chamber without the necessity of increasing the diameter of that portion of the cleaner beyond the diameter of the motor suction unit.

7. In a suction cleaner the combination of a rigid tubular body which is open at the top and closed at the bottom through which is a dirt laden air inlet,.a tubular filter supported axially above the rigid tubular body in communication with the open top thereof, a motor driven suction fan located in the lower part of the rigid tubular body with its fan positioned downwardly at the aforesaid dirt laden air inlet, the motor of said unit' being encased and there being an annular chamber between the motor casing and the inside of the rigid tubular body, which chamber is closed at the top except for an opening leading to a duct extending upwardly into the aforesaid tubular filter at one side of the rigid tubular body, the innerwall of said duct being a partition'connecting the sides of the rigid tubular body; and a dirt-chamber located above the motor casing on the other side of the partition from said duct, said chamber being closed at the bottom and open at the top where it communicates with the. tubular filter, the side walls of said dirt chamber comprising said partition together with the adjacent wall portions of the rigid tubular body and a door which when closed substantially continues the walls of the tubular body.

8. The suction cleaner of claim '7 further characterized by there being a rigid tubular enclosure for the tubular filter secured to the aforesaid rigid tubular body in upward tubular continuation thereof.

9. The suction cleaner of claim 7 I further characterized by there being a handle extending. axially upward from the aforesaid rigid tubular body and thence through the tubular filter and out through a hole in the top thereof, said top being a cap to which the upper end of the tubular filter is peripherally attached, said cap being slidable on said handle and being resiliently upheld thereon, thereby tensioning the tubular ing of a bell and an underlying cap, the latter being perforated with air venting openings located under the eaves of said bell.

11. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a filter unit comprising tubular filtering material and a rigid tubular enclosure therefor, a. dirt ing an operating handle rigid with the top of the rigid tubular enclosure of the filter unit extending axially upward therefrom.

12. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a motor suction unit, a filter receiving the dirt laden air from said unit, and a dirt receptable receiving the dirtfrom the filter, said filter comprising tubular filter material, a rigid tubular casing enclosing said tubular filter, a top for said rigid tubular casing consisting of a bell and an underlying cap, the latter containing vent openings for the filtered air located under the caves of said bell, and a handle for said cleaner extending axially from the top of said filter.

WARD LEATHERS. 

